WELLINGTON ZOO

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2692, 11 February 1916, Page 6

WELLINGTON ZOO

RECENT ADDITIONS

SEA LION OR SEA LEOPARD ?

A CREAT MISFORTUNE

(By John Castle, Secretary of the Wellington Zoological Society.) 'llio AY ellington Zoological Society has set another pair of gems in the crown of Wellington's recreational attractions. Two recent birds have been placed in the Zoo. They are younir, and have not yet put oil the adornments that give to' their species the distinction that erodes them high in the ranks of Avian beauties. Hut' if they live to array thomselves ill the velvety, glossy black, and golden glory, of maturity, their slieeny 'splendours will evoke, in excited exclamations, glowing expressions of genuine admiration. And the regent birds may be expected to develop other meritorious excellencies. They are members of the wonderful bower-bird family, "the most interesting group of birds in the world." The Bullfinch. Among the interesting birds recently presented by the Wellington Zoological Society to the Zoo the bullfinch represents a noteworthy species. It lias a beauty peculiarly its own, not as, brilliant as that of the fiaming crimsoncrowned pyromelana flammieeps, or as glowing as that of the showy regelitbird, nor yot as sober as that of the munia oryzivora, but a\kind of natural aristocratic beauty of rich colours and perfectly fitting plumage, just llie kind of beauty for a species tliat has a great history. Much time and money and skill have been applied to the education of distinguished members of this honoured family, and the results have •been sufficient to excite great discussions oil the difference between Avian instinct and human reason. Captain, the Young Sea Lion. I think that Curator Laugridge may claim for his Zoo the honour of being the first in which a sea lion of tlie hookeri species of the Otariidae family lias ever beeu uaturally bred. Ido not contend that Californian sea-lions havo not been bred in captivity, but I submit that Captain, named by permission, I believe, after Captain Hooper, who brought the parents of the little prodigy to our Zoo, is the only sea-lion of tho southern islands that has yet been bred in captivity. Already Mr. Langridge lias received congratulation on the event from a director of one of the Australian zoos. Is It a Sea-Lion?

Soon after little Captain was born some person visited the Zoo, saw tho little sea-lion, and went away and wrote a letter telling the public that the little new-born was not a sea-lion (Otariidae liookeri), but that it was a sea-leopard (Ogmorhinus Leptony). Now, as my society has on more than one occasion published that the seals in the Wellington Zoo are sea-lions (Otariidae), and there is a great difference between a sea-lion and a sea-leopard, 1 publish what Mr. Crewes, who classified tha animals for our Handbook, says about tho Zoo sea-lions. He says:

Dear Mr. Castle, —For the information of the juvenile readers of your notes, ami in justice to Mr. Langridge, who has published that • a young sea lion lias been bred in our Zoo, as well as in vindication of the classification I made for our ' society, I must simply say that the word otariidae is derived from tho' Greek word "otaros," which literally means "large-eared," but is, zoologically, used to distinguish tho seals or seal-like animals that have external ears, from animals somewhat similar that have 110 such ears. Now, any child can see that little "Captain" and his father are unmistakcably of the "otariidae," having external ears that are quite noticeable.. Children old enough to remember the sea leopard that was in our Zoo for a few days a few years ago, will not have . forgotten that it had 110 external ears. Another distinction between the sea lion and the sea leopard is that the sea lion has the power to thrust its hind limbs forward, and to move at a great rate on four improvised legs. Just before Captain's mother died 1 saw her and her mate race up the concrete side of the sea-lion pond, and I was amazed at the force they put into ' their movements. A sea leopard has_ not power to so use its . hind limbs. So much for the sea lion. Next, what is meant by "Ogmorhinus leptonyx" 'i I think that it will be found that Cuvier gave to a kind of sea leopard the name stenorhynclius, but that it was afterwards learned that Lhat name had already been appropriated for another species of animals, and therefore by another naturalist the name ogmorninus was. substituted to be applied to the sea leopard. Next, it' was discovered that there was another animal, closely resembling ogmorhinus, but differing from it in some of its teeth, and to this species the liamo leptonyx was given. I think that I have seen both names at the head of a paragraph 011 the • sea leopard, and I imagine that some person, bent on change, and perhaps not very learned in Greek and Latin and scientific names, caught the names at the head of the paragraph, and, later, stuck on to poor little Captain, our genuine young sea lion, tho namos of two species' of sea leopards, to neither of which the innocent little fellow has ever claimed relation. A Deadly Mishap! One of tho most attractive parts of the Zoo is the aquarium, a part that wes becoming more interesting every day, as young salmon and trout and other iridescent beauties grew and changed, but alas, one night the bursting of a water-pipe broke the supply of water to a considerable portion of tho city of Wellington, and our beautiful aquarium was almost ruined. Tile catfish died, most of the adult trout perished, and all the salmon disappeared. Fortunately the eels lived 011, a goodly number of splendid Japanese goldfish were saved, the golden carp endured the strain, and a few adult and several .voting trout retained vitality. Mr. Langridge is slowly replenisliilig the tanks, iut the weather just now is not favourable for such kind of work. 111 some respects the damage dono is irreparable, but Councillor Frost is alivo and at ?he head of a sensible and indomitable committee, Curator Langridge is awake and moving, and I am not void of hope that the City Engineer will devise means to prevent a recurrence of such a catastrophe as that which recently almost ruined one of the most charming features of our prosperous and promising young menagerie. A Worthy Reception. The reception with which tho Memorial Handbook and Guide to the Zoo, winch my society dedicated to Now Zealand s heroes and heroines," has been, favoured has been all that could have been desired. The newspapers praised the unpretentious brochure, the public welcomed it, our advertisers all paid up promptly and cheerfully, and if the sale at the Zoo gates keeps lip the rate that it has bad lately, one month will bring the sale of tho last co,oy to be offered*